Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Wind-driven snow whipped through New
York’s streets and piled up in Boston as a fast-moving storm
brought near-blizzard conditions to parts of the Northeast,
closing roads, grounding flights and shutting schools.

Some of the lowest temperatures in decades will follow the
system, forecasters said. The storm left 6 inches (15
centimeters) of snow on Manhattan’s Central Park by 7 a.m.,
according to the National Weather Service. Boston’s Logan
International Airport reported 14.6 inches, said Nicole Belk, a
weather service meteorologist in Taunton, Massachusetts.

At least 11 people died, most in traffic accidents blamed
on slick roads, according to the Associated Press. A 71-year-old
woman froze to death in western New York and a worker was
crushed when a pile of road salt fell on him at a suburban
Philadelphia storage site, AP said.

As the snow tapers off through the day, temperatures in the
teens will drop and gusty winds will make conditions feel even
colder, said Joey Picca, a weather service meteorologist in
Upton, New York.

“As we head into the afternoon with the wind still
gusting, there is going to be considerable blowing snow given
how powdery it is,” Picca said. “It may seem like it is still
snowing to people walking around. Wind chills will be below zero
as we head through the day. It’s pretty much a terrible day to
be outside.”

Flight Delays

The storm contributed to 2,351 flights within, into or out
of the U.S. being canceled and 3,381 delayed as of 2 p.m. New
York time, according to FlightAware, a Houston-based airline
tracking service. Yesterday, 2,367 flights were scrubbed.

Schools in New York City and Boston closed.

Amtrak canceled some trains between Boston and Washington.
The Long Island Rail Road operated on a weekend schedule and
MetroNorth on a Saturday schedule, according to a statement by
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the highest snow
accumulation total in the city was 6.5 inches. Wind chills may
be 5 to 15 below zero Fahrenheit (minus 21 to minus 26 Celsius),
he said.

Today’s high in New York is expected to reach 16 and then
fall to 2 tonight, according to the weather service.

‘Dangerous Storm’

“This has been and remains a dangerous storm,” de Blasio
said. “The best things people can do are to stay off the roads
so we can clear them as fast as possible, and to check in on
elderly and vulnerable neighbors who might need help this
morning.”

Boston will only reach 12 today with a low of zero tonight.
In Philadelphia, the high will be about 23 with a low of 4, and
in Washington readings will be 23 for a high and a low of 11.

On average, temperatures across parts of the Northeast may
reach their lowest point in 20 years or even longer, said Rob
Carolan, owner of Hometown Forecast Services Inc. in Nashua, New
Hampshire.

“Tonight, everything that you need to produce record or
near-record temperatures are present: New snow cover, clear
skies, arctic high,” Carolan said. “Temperatures are going to
drop like a stone.”

Boston’s record low temperature for the day is minus 4, and
that mark could fall overnight, Carolan said. The cold air is
being drawn into the region in part by the passing storm.

Blizzard? Uncertain

Picca said that while records will have to be rechecked,
preliminary indications are that blizzard conditions weren’t
reached in New York or on Long Island. To be a blizzard, a storm
has to have visibility of under one-quarter mile and winds of 35
miles per hour for at least three hours.

Belk said the records would have to be reviewed for coastal
New England as well.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick ordered state offices
to remain closed today, warning that temperatures outside were
“very, very dangerous.” Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris
Christie declared states of emergency.

Delaware Governor Jack Markell also closed offices for the
day, according to a statement. Wilmington, Delaware, received at
least 3.8 inches of snow.

Blowing and drifting powdery snow will make travel
conditions “extremely dangerous,” the weather service said in
a blizzard warning, adding that “strong winds and very cold
wind chills” were expected through this afternoon. The threat
of whiteout conditions prompted Cuomo to order the Long Island
Expressway closed at midnight. It reopened at about 8 a.m.

Coastal flooding closed roads in Massachusetts, including
in Boston and Quincy. Voluntary evacuations were recommended in
low-lying areas of Scituate and Duxbury, two coastal towns where
high tides are expected, according to Patrick.